Will MSDN product keys still work after the subscription is expired?

Question

Will the product keys received through the BizSpark program still work after the MSDN subscription expires?

I'm currently using Windows 8 and Visual Studio 2013 which I got through BizSpark. I was wondering what happens when the subscription ends. Will all my installed products expire or can I still use the claimed keys after the subscription ends?

Answer 1

A quick answer before this gets closed...my recent experience with MSDN is that

• keys that do not require activation continue to work indefinitely
• products that have been activated continue to work indefinitely
• keys that require activation are historically quite variable in behaviour, but now mostly will no longer activate after your subscription has expired.
• you cannot claim new keys once your subscription expires.

MSDN is an amazing resource and very reasonably priced. Best thing is to regard it as a lifetime subscription. Having said that, we usually make sure we claim a few extra keys before we roll over each subscription. Some work, some don't.

Microsoft has been unhelpful in providing information about this, which I find quite understandable.